Photography and Awareness

What is Mindfulness? And what is Awareness?Bringing our full attention to anything is mindfulness. This kind of attention has

no particular goal in mind and enables a sense of ease, playfulness and an

openness to what is here and now.

Mindfulness is the mind's innate ability to hold the attention on a single focus in a relaxed

and effortless way, such as the breath when meditating, the washing up when washing

up, or the taste of the food when eating, driving when driving.

Awareness is the context for mindfulness. So when l am meditating l am mindful of the breath and aware of the context, ie the room l am in, the people l am with, the sounds and other sense perceptions happening right now - as part of the totality of experience. This is often called presently knowing - l know, in the present where l am etc.

If l am photographing my friends on a mountain top l am mindful of the photographic process and aware that l am on a mountain top - so l don't step backwards and fall off!

Mindfulness and awareness make up being fully present and if either are missing we are not present.

How does all this connect to Photography?

When we bring this approach to photography it leads us into a deeper connection

with ourselves and the world around us – our subject.

Using mindfulness meditation and photography exercises you will learn how to

approach and come into relation to your subject and how to make the best use of

your camera and available light.

This workshop is open to all level of photographic experience and all kinds of cameras.

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My Weekend with Michael I drove to Brighton with two thoughts in my head. One, that the 5-day creative retreat in Assisi with Michael and Michelle had revealed to me talents that I hadn’t realised I possessed and, two, it couldn’t happen twice. Or could it? Would the weekend deliver? Would I find a creative photographer within? Could I create ‘beyond myself’? Well, the answer is yes to all of those questions and the reason for that is trust. Trust in Michael, trust in the process but, most important of all trust in oneself. I loved the weekend, Brighton, all of the others on the course, the new way of seeing and responding, Thank you Michael for opening my eyes on a wonderful world.'